Peter Casts His Net Over FCLC Again

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(Ian McKenna/The Observer)

By TYLER MARTINS
Editor-in-Chief
Published: October 8, 2014

Standing tall against the backdrop of the new Fordham Law School building, “Peter the Fisherman” casts his net over Robert Moses Plaza, his net reaching across to Lowenstein and beyond.

Designed by Frederick Shrady, “Peter the Fisherman” was installed on the lower plaza, where the new law school building is, in 1970, according to Rev. Robert Grimes, S.J., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Originally, the statue stood over a reflecting pool, but the pool was later removed during the renovation of the plaza in 1993.

“‘Peter the Fisherman’ has always seemed to me to be a symbol of the Lincoln Center campus. When the plaza was all concrete and cold, Peter was the one thing that gave it life,” Grimes said. “After the 1993 renovations, when it was surrounded by weeping willow trees, it was the most beautiful and relaxing of places on campus.”

“Peter the Fisherman” was removed from FCLC because of the construction of the new law school, but was returned to in September of this year.

“I’m glad to see him back as we enter a new era of Fordham at Lincoln Center,” Grimes said. Shrady is a sculptor known for his religious art work, including a statue of “Our Lady of Fatima,” commissioned by Pope John Paul II.

Fordham would not be in existence today if it weren’t for the driving forces of God’s love, and it is our job to maintain and continue passing those driving forces of love to one another and to those in our communities.

I wanted to see Fordham SJP try. They had three years to speak out against anti-Semitism, but they never extended a hand. I just want my Jewish friends currently at Fordham to feel safe and a part of their community.